Hormone Disrupting Chemicals Might Affect Cognition in Future Generations

The exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), a type of hormone-disrupting chemical (EDC), has the potential to pass down adverse cognitive effects through generations, according to an animal study being presented Thursday at ENDO 2023, the Endocrine Society’s annual meeting in Chicago, Ill. Endocrine-disrupting chemicals present in our food, air, water, and personal products may cause cognitive-behavioral disorders like attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder or overeating in future generations (1^✔ ✔Trusted Source
Endocrine disrupting chemicals: exposure, effects on human health, mechanism of action, models for testing and strategies for prevention

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To explore this further, researchers administered a common PCB mixture called Aroclor 1221 to pregnant female rats. The adults (n=40), their offspring (n=80), and their future grandchildren (n=80) were all tested on behavioral tasks to assess pleasure-seeking, ability to pay attention, and cognitive flexibility.

Cognitive Effects of Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals in Future Generations

The grandchildren of rats exposed to EDCs while pregnant performed significantly worse on these tasks, showing impaired cognitive function and increased pleasure-seeking. This suggests EDCs program potential cognitive disorders or behavioral problems that only emerge in later generations.

Grandchildren of rats that were exposed to the PCB mixture were more interested in eating for pleasure, according to the results of the sucrose preference test. While all of the tested animals preferred the sucrose solution to water, the grandchildren of mothers exposed to the PCB mixture consumed more of the sucrose solution.

The same rats had an impaired ability to switch between tasks or learn new rules. However, only the male grandchildren were more likely to become fixated with a visual cue, which is common in disorders such as ADHD.

The PCB mixture impaired different aspects of cognitive behavior between male and female rats, depending on the life stage when they were exposed. It’s not yet clear which biological systems might be driving this.

These findings suggest regulating EDCs in industrial and consumer products could reduce the prevalence of certain cognitive or behavioral disorders in the future (2^✔ ✔Trusted Source
Neural generators involved in visual cue processing in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)

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Endocrinologists are at the core of solving the most pressing health problems of our time, from diabetes and obesity to infertility, bone health, and hormone-related cancers. The Endocrine Society is the world’s oldest and largest organization of scientists devoted to hormone research and physicians who care for people with hormone-related conditions.

References:

1. Endocrine disrupting chemicals: exposure, effects on human health, mechanism of action, models for testing and strategies for prevention - (https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11154-019-09521-z)
2. Neural generators involved in visual cue processing in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) - (https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/ejn.15040)

Source-Eurekalert